This invention relates generally to a probe adapted to measure the moisture in soil and other medium.
In the past, there have been a number of instruments used to measure the moisture content in soil so that farmers, ranchers, conservationists and the like could determine when to irrigate crops, plants, trees, etc. Early devices included taking bore samples of soil and placing the samples in devices that would measure the amount of moisture content in the soil. These devices generally required time consuming processes that under quickly changing conditions characterized soils either. over- or under-irrigated with the resulting loss of crops.
Other in situ soil moisture measuring devices, such as neutron source back scatter devices, are bulky and rely on radioactive elements. Radioactive devices often are costly, require specialized personnel to operate, and have to be calibrated in the field.